Indian WhatsApp lynchings: Difference between revisions

Indian WhatsApp lynchings
Type	Moral panic, mass hysteria, lynchings, mob violence
Cause	Fake news spread via social media, especially WhatsApp
Deaths	≥ 23
Arrests	≥ 600

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Revision as of 00:11, 26 September 2023

The Indian WhatsApp lynchings are a spate of mob-related violence and killings following the spread of rumours, primarily relating to child-abduction and organ harvesting, via the WhatsApp message service. The spate of lynchings commenced in May 2017 with the killing of seven men in Jharkhand, but did not become a matter of national attention until the beginning of the following year. Fake messages customised with locally specific details are circulated along with real videos attached to fake messages or claims.

In almost all of the lynching locations, no child abductions had been recorded in the previous three months.^[1]

The majority of the attacks have occurred deep within the interior regions of villages. The lynch mobs included men, women and children. In some cases the mobs were composed largely of illiterate or poorly educated men that were unemployed or working as day labourers as well as being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the attack.^[2] In at least some of the cases prime instigators have used child-abduction fears to stir up the violence and settle old scores.

Responses

The Indian Government does not track public lynchings and there are no official statistics from the Indian Crime Records Bureau regarding their occurrence across India.^[3]

Media coverage over the killings and efforts to debunk fake news have also been concentrated in the English and Hindi language media, with little attention given to local language reporting.^[4]

On 4 July 2018 – WhatsApp offered $50,000 in funding for researchers to develop technological and social ideas that prevent the spread of fake news.^[5]

On 10 July 2018 – WhatsApp launched a newspaper advertising campaign warning against fake news and announced changes for Indian users of the platform that labels forwarded messages as such.^[6]

Notable cases

2020 Palghar mob lynching

On 16 April 2020, a vigilante group lynched two Hindu Sadhus and their drivers in Gadchinchale Village, Palghar District, Maharashtra, India. The incident was fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, about thieves operating in the area, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vigilante group of villagers had mistaken the three passengers as thieves and killed them.^[7] The policemen who intervened were also attacked, with four policemen and a senior police officer getting injured.^[8]^[9]

As of 20 April, 101 villagers have been arrested by the Maharashtra police on charges of murder of the three men and an investigation is ongoing.^[10]^[11] After the incident, rumours were spread to stoke religious tension.^[12] On 22 April, Maharashtra Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh posted a complete list of people arrested, and said that none of the people arrested were Muslims.^[10]^[13] The government said that both the attackers and the victims were of same religion.^[12]^[9]

2018 Karbi Anglong lynching

The 2018 Karbi Anglong lynching occurred when two men who were visiting the Kangthilangso waterfall to search for ornamental fish stopped their vehicle to ask villagers for directions. A mob of inebriated villagers suspected them to be child abductors and attacked them with machetes, bamboo poles and wood. The two men succumbed to their injuries before they could be taken to hospital. A video was circulated of the two men covered in blood and begging for mercy.

List of attacks and lynchings


Date	Victims	Location	State	style="width: 5%;" Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Template:Vert header	Circumstances
May 12, 2017	Two men	Jadugora, East Singhbhum district	Jharkhand	2			Two people were beaten to death and as many injured by a mob on suspicion that they were child lifters in Jadugora.^[14]
May 17, 2017	Unidentified man	Shobhapur village, Kolhan	Jharkhand	1			One man beaten to death on suspicion of being a child abductor.^[15]
May 17, 2017	Two unidentified men	Sosomoli village	Jharkhand	2			Two men beaten to death on suspicion of being child abductors.^[15]
April 10, 2018	Rukmani (female, 65), Chandrasekaran (male, 34), Mohan Kumar (male, 34), Venkatesan (51), Gajendran	Athimur, Tiruvannamalai	Tamil Nadu	1	3	42^[16]	65 year old Rukmani and her family was travelling from Chennai to visit the family temple when they stopped to ask an elderly lady for directions. Whilst stopping they gave chocolates to local children. The lady told the rest of the village that they must be child traffickers. A mob of 200 gathered, stripped the family and beat them,^[17] killing Rukmani, critically injuring the other three and overturning their vehicle. Police were present but unable to stop the violence until an ambulance arrived.^[18] Videos taken of the attack were circulated and used to identify perpetrators.^[19] Claims that 52 children in the district had been abducted were circulating on WhatsApp prior to the lynching.^[16] Police commence awareness campaign against fake news in the days following the attack.
April 29, 2018	1 man (30s)	Parasuramapatti, Gudiyatham, Vellore	Tamil Nadu	1			A 30 year old Hindi-speaking migrant worker is suspected of being a child-abductor and beaten to death.^[20] Police commence a public awareness campaign.
May 11, 2018	Ganesh (30s)	Tiruvaller, Chennai	Tamil Nadu	1		20^[21]	A mentally-ill man who had been seen roaming the streets for several months was attacked by 90 villagers who accused him of being a child kidnapper. They broke his nose, gouged out an eye, and hung him from a bridge near Pulicat Lake.^[20]^[22] The cause was fake videos and messages circulating via WhatsApp.
May 17, 2018	Uttam Kumar Verma (male), Ganesh Kumar Gupta (male), Vikas Verma (25), Gautam Verma (27), elderly woman (80s)	Nagadih	Jharkhand	4			Two brothers working for the Swachh Bharat campaign and a friend were beaten to death by tribals in front of their 80-year-old grandmother. Their older brother sustained injuries in the attack. Police failed to rescue them, with witnesses accusing them of standing and watching. WhatsApp rumours were blamed for the attack.^[23]^[24] Angry villagers torched two police vehicles.^[25] It was reported that the grandmother was also beaten and died later.^[26]^[27]
June 8, 2018	Bharat Sonavne (male), Shivaji Shinde (male), and 7 other men	Chandgaon, Vaijapur taluka	Maharashtra	2	7	400	Two men were beaten to death and seven others were injured, one of them critically, after a mob of villagers attacked them with wooden sticks after receiving social media messages about a gang of robbers in the area.^[28]
July 1, 2018	2 men, 2 women, 1 child	Malegaon	Maharashtra	0	4		A family of daily wage labourers were accused by a teenager of being child abductors and set upon by surrounding crowd. All five were rescued by police. The crowd attacked police and overturned a police vehicle. The four are critically injured in hospital.^[29] Cause believed to be fake videos originating in Karnataka.^[30]
July 1, 2018	Dadarao Bhosale, Bharat Bhosale, Aappa Ingole, Bharat Malve and Raju Bhosale^[31]	Rainpada village, Dhule district	Maharashtra	5			5 people belonging to the nomadic community Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi were lynched to death on the suspicion of being child traffickers. Rumours on social media suggested that child abductors were active in the area.^[32]
July 16, 2018	Mohammed Azam (28), Salham Eid Al Kubasi, Noor Mohammed, 1 other man	Bidar district	Karnataka	1	3	32^[33] ^[34]	IT worker, Mohammed Azam was visiting a relative with three friends when they saw some children in the village to whom they gave Qatari chocolates. Villagers, suspecting them to be child-snatchers turned hostile. The group fled in their car, but residents called ahead to the next village of Murki who blocked the road. The car flipped into a ditch and the men dragged them out of the vehicle^{[original research?]} and beaten with sticks and stones. By the time the police arrived, Azam was dead whilst the others had sustained critical injuries.^[35] Eight policemen were injured, two seriously.^[36]
July 19, 2018	1 woman (25)	Bhosh village, Morwa, Singrauli	Madhya Pradesh	1		14	Following the circulation of WhatsApp messages a group of tribal men suspected a homeless, mentally-disabled woman, attacking her with sticks, rods and a pick-axe. Her body was dumped in the jungle, but found shortly afterwards by the police.^[37]
April 18, 2020	Sushil Giri Maharaj (35), Nilesh Telgane (35), and Chikane Maharaj Kalpavrikshgiri (70)	Palghar	Maharashtra	3		110	See 2020 Palghar mob lynching. Three men who were driving to a funeral during coronavirus lockdown were lynched by the vigilante group on the suspicion of being thieves after rumours were floated in the area.^[7]^[38]

References

↑ "Murderous mob — 9 states, 27 killings, one year: And a pattern to the lynchings". The Indian Express. 15 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "An Express Investigation Part 2: Look who all make up the murderous lynch mob". The Indian Express. 15 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Gupta, Apar (10 July 2018). "Blaming WhatsApp for Deaths due to Lynchings has Shielded Government Accountability". Tech2. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
↑ Milko, Victoria (10 July 2010). "India's fight against fake news has a problem: More needs to be done on regional languages". The Splice Newsroom. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
↑ "WhatsApp offers $50,000 for ideas to stop fake news spread as India orders it to take action over lynchings". The Telegraph. 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
↑ Rahman, Shaikh Azizur (13 July 2018). "'Fake news often goes viral': WhatsApp ads warn India after mob lynchings". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 "Police arrest 110 people over lynching in western India". Reuters. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
↑ Divyesh Singh (17 April 2020). "3 men lynched in Maharashtra on suspicion of being robbers". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 "Palghar Lynching: Maha govt warns against floating 'communal angle', says attackers and victims were of 'same religion'". DNA India. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 "No Muslims among 101 accused for Palghar sadhu lynching: Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh". Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
↑ "110 arrested over latest deadly lynch mob attack in India". www.cbsnews.com. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 "More than 100 arrested over India lynching". BBC News. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
↑ "Palghar mob lynching: Anil Deshmukh releases list of 101 people arrested". Pune Mirror. 22 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 May 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
↑ Bhattacharya, Ravik (22 May 2017). "Jharkhand lynching: Amid WhatsApp rumours, tribals stopped school, outdoors for kids". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
↑ ^15.0 ^15.1 Surendran, Vivek (27 June 2017). "Politics of lynching, the new normal in India". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ ^16.0 ^16.1 Karthikeyan, Divya (25 May 2018). "WhatsApp Rumours, Fake Videos Lead to Lynching and Deaths in Tamil Nadu". The Wire. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Jayarajan, Sreedevi (10 May 2018). "TN horror: Mob mistakes 65-year-old woman for child trafficker, lynches her to death". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "Tamil Nadu: Mob Of 200 Lynches To Death 65-Yr-Old Woman Mistaking Her For A Child Trafficker". The Logical Indian. 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "23 men arrested for lynching 65-year-old Chennai woman". The Times of India. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ ^20.0 ^20.1 Thirumurthy, Priyanka; Jayarajan, Sreedevi (11 May 2018). "False Whatsapp messages on child abduction trigger violence in TN, killing two". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "Tamil Nadu: Two lynched to death in 24 hours; how fake WhatsApp messages spread panic". Financial Express. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Selvaraj, A. (11 May 2018). "Mob Justice On Chennai Streets, Two Men Lynched Within 24 Hours For Alleged Child Theft". Indian Times. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Bhattacharya, Ravik (20 May 2017). "Seven lynched by mob in Jharkhand over kidnap rumours". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Murty, B Vijay (22 May 2017). "Jharkhand lynching: Community leaders, activists blame 'curse of social media'". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "Six persons lynched in two separate incidents in Jharkhand following suspicion of child-lifting". First Post. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "Anatomy of a lynching: How fake forwards create killer mobs". The Times of India. 16 June 2018. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "4-year RI for 12 in Rajnagar lynching". The Telegraph. 17 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018.
↑ "WhatsApp Rumour Triggers Lynching of 2 Men in Maharashtra's Aurangabad". News 18. 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "5 Lynched in Dhule, 4 Battered in Malegaon: Fake WhatsApp Message Haunts Maharashtra Now". News 18. 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Niranjakumar, Nivedita (3 July 2018). "How A Video From Karnataka Spurred A Mob Attack In Malegaon". The Quint. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Shantha, Sukanya (5 July 2018). "State Apathy, Not WhatsApp Rumours, Behind Victimisation of Maharashtra's Nomadic Tribe". The Wire. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
↑ "Fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, Dhule mob wanted to burn bodies of 'child abductors'". Hindustan Times. 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
↑ Busby, Mattha (16 July 2018). "2,000-strong mob kill engineer over child-kidnapping rumours in India's latest lynching". Independent. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ Ram, Theja (14 July 2018). "Hyd man lynched to death after mob in K'taka accuses him of being a child abductor". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "Google techie's lynching in Karnataka: How an act of kindness turned deadly". Business Standard. 16 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "'He looked like a terrorist': How a drive in Karnataka ended in mob lynching". Hindustan Times. 30 July 2018. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
↑ "Mentally challenged homeless woman lynched by mob over child lifting rumours in Madhya Pradesh". The New Indian Express. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
↑ "3 Men Brutally Killed By Mob In Maharashtra's Palghar, Police Arrest 110". NDTV. 18 April 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.

[:15-1] "Murderous mob — 9 states, 27 killings, one year: And a pattern to the lynchings". The Indian Express. 15 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[2] "An Express Investigation Part 2: Look who all make up the murderous lynch mob". The Indian Express. 15 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[3] Gupta, Apar (10 July 2018). "Blaming WhatsApp for Deaths due to Lynchings has Shielded Government Accountability". Tech2. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.

[4] Milko, Victoria (10 July 2010). "India's fight against fake news has a problem: More needs to be done on regional languages". The Splice Newsroom. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2018.

[5] "WhatsApp offers $50,000 for ideas to stop fake news spread as India orders it to take action over lynchings". The Telegraph. 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.

[6] Rahman, Shaikh Azizur (13 July 2018). "'Fake news often goes viral': WhatsApp ads warn India after mob lynchings". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.

[Reuters-7] 7.0 ^7.1 "Police arrest 110 people over lynching in western India". Reuters. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.

[India_Today-8] Divyesh Singh (17 April 2020). "3 men lynched in Maharashtra on suspicion of being robbers". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.

[DNA-9] 9.0 ^9.1 "Palghar Lynching: Maha govt warns against floating 'communal angle', says attackers and victims were of 'same religion'". DNA India. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.

[:1freepressjournal-10] 10.0 ^10.1 "No Muslims among 101 accused for Palghar sadhu lynching: Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh". Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

[11] "110 arrested over latest deadly lynch mob attack in India". www.cbsnews.com. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

[BBC-12] 12.0 ^12.1 "More than 100 arrested over India lynching". BBC News. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[:22-13] "Palghar mob lynching: Anil Deshmukh releases list of 101 people arrested". Pune Mirror. 22 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 May 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

[14] Bhattacharya, Ravik (22 May 2017). "Jharkhand lynching: Amid WhatsApp rumours, tribals stopped school, outdoors for kids". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.

[:9-15] 15.0 ^15.1 Surendran, Vivek (27 June 2017). "Politics of lynching, the new normal in India". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[:3-16] 16.0 ^16.1 Karthikeyan, Divya (25 May 2018). "WhatsApp Rumours, Fake Videos Lead to Lynching and Deaths in Tamil Nadu". The Wire. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[17] Jayarajan, Sreedevi (10 May 2018). "TN horror: Mob mistakes 65-year-old woman for child trafficker, lynches her to death". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[18] "Tamil Nadu: Mob Of 200 Lynches To Death 65-Yr-Old Woman Mistaking Her For A Child Trafficker". The Logical Indian. 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[19] "23 men arrested for lynching 65-year-old Chennai woman". The Times of India. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[:2-20] 20.0 ^20.1 Thirumurthy, Priyanka; Jayarajan, Sreedevi (11 May 2018). "False Whatsapp messages on child abduction trigger violence in TN, killing two". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[21] "Tamil Nadu: Two lynched to death in 24 hours; how fake WhatsApp messages spread panic". Financial Express. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[:10-22] Selvaraj, A. (11 May 2018). "Mob Justice On Chennai Streets, Two Men Lynched Within 24 Hours For Alleged Child Theft". Indian Times. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[23] Bhattacharya, Ravik (20 May 2017). "Seven lynched by mob in Jharkhand over kidnap rumours". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[24] Murty, B Vijay (22 May 2017). "Jharkhand lynching: Community leaders, activists blame 'curse of social media'". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[25] "Six persons lynched in two separate incidents in Jharkhand following suspicion of child-lifting". First Post. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[26] "Anatomy of a lynching: How fake forwards create killer mobs". The Times of India. 16 June 2018. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[:8-27] "4-year RI for 12 in Rajnagar lynching". The Telegraph. 17 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018.

[28] "WhatsApp Rumour Triggers Lynching of 2 Men in Maharashtra's Aurangabad". News 18. 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[29] "5 Lynched in Dhule, 4 Battered in Malegaon: Fake WhatsApp Message Haunts Maharashtra Now". News 18. 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[:20-30] Niranjakumar, Nivedita (3 July 2018). "How A Video From Karnataka Spurred A Mob Attack In Malegaon". The Quint. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[31] Shantha, Sukanya (5 July 2018). "State Apathy, Not WhatsApp Rumours, Behind Victimisation of Maharashtra's Nomadic Tribe". The Wire. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.

[32] "Fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, Dhule mob wanted to burn bodies of 'child abductors'". Hindustan Times. 4 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.

[33] Busby, Mattha (16 July 2018). "2,000-strong mob kill engineer over child-kidnapping rumours in India's latest lynching". Independent. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[34] Ram, Theja (14 July 2018). "Hyd man lynched to death after mob in K'taka accuses him of being a child abductor". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[35] "Google techie's lynching in Karnataka: How an act of kindness turned deadly". Business Standard. 16 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[36] "'He looked like a terrorist': How a drive in Karnataka ended in mob lynching". Hindustan Times. 30 July 2018. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.

[37] "Mentally challenged homeless woman lynched by mob over child lifting rumours in Madhya Pradesh". The New Indian Express. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.

[38] "3 Men Brutally Killed By Mob In Maharashtra's Palghar, Police Arrest 110". NDTV. 18 April 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Type of violence in India}}
 {{Use Indian English|date=April 2020}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
@@ Line 4: / Line 5: @@
 {{Infobox event
 | type                     = [[Moral panic]], [[mass hysteria]], [[lynchings]], mob violence
-| cause                    = Fake news spread via social media
+| cause                    = [[Fake news]] spread via [[social media]], especially [[WhatsApp]]
 | reported property damage =
 | inquiries                =
+| deaths = ≥ 23
+| arrests = ≥ 600
 }}
 The '''Indian WhatsApp lynchings''' are a spate of mob-related violence and killings following the spread of rumours, primarily relating to child-abduction and organ harvesting, via the [[WhatsApp]] message service. The spate of lynchings commenced in May 2017 with the killing of seven men in [[Jharkhand]], but did not become a matter of national attention until the beginning of the following year. Fake messages customised with locally specific details are circulated along with real videos attached to fake messages or claims.
-In almost all of the lynching locations, no child abductions had been recorded in the previous three months.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynching-incidents-in-india-dhule-whatsapp-rumour-5247741/|title=Murderous mob — 9 states, 27 killings, one year: And a pattern to the lynchings|date=15 July 2018|work=The Indian Express}}</ref>
+In almost all of the lynching locations, no child abductions had been recorded in the previous three months.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynching-incidents-in-india-dhule-whatsapp-rumour-5247741/|title=Murderous mob — 9 states, 27 killings, one year: And a pattern to the lynchings|date=15 July 2018|work=The Indian Express|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=11 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511171607/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynching-incidents-in-india-dhule-whatsapp-rumour-5247741/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-The majority of the attacks have occurred deep within the interior regions of villages. The lynch mobs included men, women and children. In some cases the mobs were composed largely of illiterate or poorly educated men that were unemployed or working as day labourers as well as being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynchings-accused-whatsapp-rumour-investigation-child-lifting-5249318/|title=An Express Investigation Part 2: Look who all make up the murderous lynch mob|date=15 July 2018|work=The Indian Express}}</ref> In at least some of the cases prime instigators have used child-abduction fears to stir up the violence and settle old scores.
+The majority of the attacks have occurred deep within the interior regions of villages. The lynch mobs included men, women and children. In some cases the mobs were composed largely of illiterate or poorly educated men that were unemployed or working as day labourers as well as being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynchings-accused-whatsapp-rumour-investigation-child-lifting-5249318/|title=An Express Investigation Part 2: Look who all make up the murderous lynch mob|date=15 July 2018|work=The Indian Express|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145941/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynchings-accused-whatsapp-rumour-investigation-child-lifting-5249318/|url-status=live}}</ref> In at least some of the cases prime instigators have used child-abduction fears to stir up the violence and settle old scores.
 == Responses ==
-The Indian Government does not track public lynchings and there are no official statistics from the [[Indian Crime Records Bureau]] regarding their occurrence across India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/blaming-whatsapp-for-deaths-due-to-lynchings-has-shielded-govt-accountability-4703481.html|title=Blaming WhatsApp for Deaths due to Lynchings has Shielded Government Accountability|last=Gupta|first=Apar|date=10 July 2018|work=Tech2}}</ref>
+The Indian Government does not track public lynchings and there are no official statistics from the [[Indian Crime Records Bureau]] regarding their occurrence across India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/blaming-whatsapp-for-deaths-due-to-lynchings-has-shielded-govt-accountability-4703481.html|title=Blaming WhatsApp for Deaths due to Lynchings has Shielded Government Accountability|last=Gupta|first=Apar|date=10 July 2018|work=Tech2|access-date=31 July 2018|archive-date=31 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731100324/https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/blaming-whatsapp-for-deaths-due-to-lynchings-has-shielded-govt-accountability-4703481.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Media coverage over the killings and efforts to debunk fake news have also been concentrated in the English and Hindi language media, with little attention given to local language reporting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thesplicenewsroom.com/indian-fact-checkers-fake-news/|title=India's fight against fake news has a problem: More needs to be done on regional languages.|last=Milko|first=Victoria|date=10 July 2010|work=The Splice Newsroom}}</ref>
+Media coverage over the killings and efforts to debunk fake news have also been concentrated in the English and Hindi language media, with little attention given to local language reporting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thesplicenewsroom.com/indian-fact-checkers-fake-news/|title=India's fight against fake news has a problem: More needs to be done on regional languages.|last=Milko|first=Victoria|date=10 July 2010|work=The Splice Newsroom|access-date=28 July 2018|archive-date=26 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326135824/https://www.splicemedia.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-On 4 July 2018 – WhatsApp offered $50,000 in funding for researchers to develop technological and social ideas that prevent the spread of fake news.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/04/india-calls-whatsapp-help-end-spate-lynchings-sparked-rumours/|title=WhatsApp offers $50,000 for ideas to stop fake news spread as India orders it to take action over lynchings|date=4 July 2018|work=The Telegraph}}</ref>
+On 4 July 2018 – WhatsApp offered $50,000 in funding for researchers to develop technological and social ideas that prevent the spread of fake news.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/04/india-calls-whatsapp-help-end-spate-lynchings-sparked-rumours/|title=WhatsApp offers $50,000 for ideas to stop fake news spread as India orders it to take action over lynchings|date=4 July 2018|work=The Telegraph|access-date=30 July 2018|archive-date=30 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730160553/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/04/india-calls-whatsapp-help-end-spate-lynchings-sparked-rumours/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-On 10 July 2018 – WhatsApp launched a newspaper advertising campaign warning against fake news and announced changes for Indian users of the platform that labels forwarded messages as such.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/13/fake-news-whatsapp-ads-india-mob-lynchings|title='Fake news often goes viral': WhatsApp ads warn India after mob lynchings|last=Rahman|first=Shaikh Azizur|date=13 July 2018|work=The Guardian}}</ref>
+On 10 July 2018 – WhatsApp launched a newspaper advertising campaign warning against fake news and announced changes for Indian users of the platform that labels forwarded messages as such.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/13/fake-news-whatsapp-ads-india-mob-lynchings|title='Fake news often goes viral': WhatsApp ads warn India after mob lynchings|last=Rahman|first=Shaikh Azizur|date=13 July 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=30 July 2018|archive-date=30 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730170619/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/13/fake-news-whatsapp-ads-india-mob-lynchings|url-status=live}}</ref>
 == Notable cases ==
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 === 2020 Palghar mob lynching ===
 {{Main|2020 Palghar mob lynching}}
-On 16 April 2020, a [[Vigilantism|vigilante group]] lynched two Hindu [[Sadhu]]s and their drivers in [[Gadchinchale|Gadchinchale Village]], [[Palghar district|Palghar District]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. The incident was fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, about thieves operating in the area, during the [[2020 coronavirus lockdown in India|country wide lockdown]] due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in India|coronavirus]]. The vigilante group of villagers had mistaken the three passengers as thieves and killed them.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=Police arrest 110 people over lynching in western India |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-crime/police-arrest-110-people-over-lynching-in-western-india-idUSKBN2222HT?il=0 |access-date=23 April 2020 |work=Reuters |date=20 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The policemen who intervened were also attacked, with four policemen and a senior police officer getting injured.<ref name="India Today">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/3-men-lynched-in-maharashtra-on-suspicion-of-being-robbers-1668027-2020-04-17|title=3 men lynched in Maharashtra on suspicion of being robbers|last1=PalgharApril 17|first1=Divyesh Singh|last2=April 17|first2=2020UPDATED|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2020-04-21|last3=Ist|first3=2020 17:15}}</ref><ref name="DNA" />
+On 16 April 2020, a [[Vigilantism|vigilante group]] lynched two Hindu [[Sadhu]]s and their drivers in [[Gadchinchale|Gadchinchale Village]], [[Palghar district|Palghar District]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. The incident was fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, about thieves operating in the area, during the [[COVID-19 lockdown in India|nationwide lockdown]] due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in India|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The vigilante group of villagers had mistaken the three passengers as thieves and killed them.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |title=Police arrest 110 people over lynching in western India |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-crime/police-arrest-110-people-over-lynching-in-western-india-idUSKBN2222HT?il=0 |access-date=23 April 2020 |work=Reuters |date=20 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=12 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612135704/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-crime/police-arrest-110-people-over-lynching-in-western-india-idUSKBN2222HT?il=0 |url-status=live }}</ref> The policemen who intervened were also attacked, with four policemen and a senior police officer getting injured.<ref name="India Today">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/3-men-lynched-in-maharashtra-on-suspicion-of-being-robbers-1668027-2020-04-17|title=3 men lynched in Maharashtra on suspicion of being robbers|author=Divyesh Singh|date=April 17, 2020|magazine=India Today|language=en|access-date=2020-04-21|archive-date=21 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421173603/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/3-men-lynched-in-maharashtra-on-suspicion-of-being-robbers-1668027-2020-04-17|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DNA" />
-As of 20 April, 101 villagers have been arrested by the Maharashtra police on charges of murder of the three men and an investigation is ongoing.<ref name=":1freepressjournal">{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/no-muslims-among-101-accused-for-palghar-sadhu-lynching-maha-home-minister-anil-deshmukh|title=No Muslims among 101 accused for Palghar sadhu lynching: Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh|website=Free Press Journal|language=en|access-date=2020-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/palghar-lynching-india-arrests-110-suspends-police-officers-rumor-fuelled-slayings-3-men/|title=110 arrested over latest deadly lynch mob attack in India|website=www.cbsnews.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-22}}</ref> After the incident, rumours were spread to stoke [[Religious violence in India|religious tension]].<ref name="BBC" /> On 22 April, Maharashtra Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh posted a complete list of people arrested, and said that none of the people arrested were Muslims.<ref name=":1freepressjournal" /><ref name=":22">{{Cite web|url=https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/others/palghar-mob-lynching-anil-deshmukh-releases-list-of-101-people-arrested/articleshow/75288323.cms|title=Palghar mob lynching: Anil Deshmukh releases list of 101 people arrested|last1=Apr 22|first1=ANI |last2=2020|website=Pune Mirror|language=en|access-date=2020-04-22|last3=Ist|first3=12:30}}</ref> The government said that both the attackers and the victims were of same religion.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52350728|title=More than 100 arrested over India lynching|date=2020-04-20|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-04-20|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="DNA">{{cite news |title=Palghar Lynching: Maha govt warns against floating 'communal angle', says attackers and victims were of 'same religion' |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-palghar-lynching-maha-govt-warns-against-floating-communal-angle-says-attackers-and-victims-were-of-same-religion-2821742 |access-date=23 April 2020 |work=DNA India |date=20 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
+As of 20 April, 101 villagers have been arrested by the Maharashtra police on charges of murder of the three men and an investigation is ongoing.<ref name=":1freepressjournal">{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/no-muslims-among-101-accused-for-palghar-sadhu-lynching-maha-home-minister-anil-deshmukh|title=No Muslims among 101 accused for Palghar sadhu lynching: Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh|website=Free Press Journal|language=en|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426030928/https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/no-muslims-among-101-accused-for-palghar-sadhu-lynching-maha-home-minister-anil-deshmukh|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/palghar-lynching-india-arrests-110-suspends-police-officers-rumor-fuelled-slayings-3-men/|title=110 arrested over latest deadly lynch mob attack in India|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=20 April 2020 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422015111/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/palghar-lynching-india-arrests-110-suspends-police-officers-rumor-fuelled-slayings-3-men/|url-status=live}}</ref> After the incident, rumours were spread to stoke [[Religious violence in India|religious tension]].<ref name="BBC" /> On 22 April, Maharashtra Home Minister, [[Anil Deshmukh]] posted a complete list of people arrested, and said that none of the people arrested were Muslims.<ref name=":1freepressjournal" /><ref name=":22">{{Cite web|url=https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/others/palghar-mob-lynching-anil-deshmukh-releases-list-of-101-people-arrested/articleshow/75288323.cms|title=Palghar mob lynching: Anil Deshmukh releases list of 101 people arrested|date=April 22, 2020|website=Pune Mirror|language=en|access-date=2020-04-22|archive-date=12 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512185458/https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/others/palghar-mob-lynching-anil-deshmukh-releases-list-of-101-people-arrested/articleshow/75288323.cms|url-status=dead}}</ref> The government said that both the attackers and the victims were of same religion.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52350728|title=More than 100 arrested over India lynching|date=2020-04-20|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-04-20|language=en-GB|archive-date=11 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611035427/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52350728|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DNA">{{cite news |title=Palghar Lynching: Maha govt warns against floating 'communal angle', says attackers and victims were of 'same religion' |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-palghar-lynching-maha-govt-warns-against-floating-communal-angle-says-attackers-and-victims-were-of-same-religion-2821742 |access-date=23 April 2020 |work=DNA India |date=20 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=26 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426090611/https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-palghar-lynching-maha-govt-warns-against-floating-communal-angle-says-attackers-and-victims-were-of-same-religion-2821742 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 === 2018 Karbi Anglong lynching ===
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-|Two people were beaten to death and as many injured by a mob on suspicion that they were child lifters in Jadugora.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bhattacharya|first=Ravik|date=22 May 2017|title=Jharkhand lynching: Amid WhatsApp rumours, tribals stopped school, outdoors for kids|work=The Indian Express|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jamshedpur-amid-whatsapp-rumours-stoked-fears-tribals-stopped-school-outdoors-for-kids-jharkhand-lynching-non-tribal-clash-4666068/}}</ref>
+|Two people were beaten to death and as many injured by a mob on suspicion that they were child lifters in Jadugora.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bhattacharya|first=Ravik|date=22 May 2017|title=Jharkhand lynching: Amid WhatsApp rumours, tribals stopped school, outdoors for kids|work=The Indian Express|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jamshedpur-amid-whatsapp-rumours-stoked-fears-tribals-stopped-school-outdoors-for-kids-jharkhand-lynching-non-tribal-clash-4666068/|access-date=3 June 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603022025/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jamshedpur-amid-whatsapp-rumours-stoked-fears-tribals-stopped-school-outdoors-for-kids-jharkhand-lynching-non-tribal-clash-4666068/|url-status=live}}</ref>
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-|Two men beaten to death on suspicion of being child abductors.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/lynching-hindu-muslim-mob-violence-kashmir-jharkhand-984791-2017-06-27|title=Politics of lynching, the new normal in India|last=Surendran|first=Vivek|date=27 June 2017|work=India Today}}</ref>
+|Two men beaten to death on suspicion of being child abductors.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/lynching-hindu-muslim-mob-violence-kashmir-jharkhand-984791-2017-06-27|title=Politics of lynching, the new normal in India|last=Surendran|first=Vivek|date=27 June 2017|work=India Today|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115148/https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/lynching-hindu-muslim-mob-violence-kashmir-jharkhand-984791-2017-06-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
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-|42<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://thewire.in/media/a-whatsapp-rumour-a-fake-video-lead-to-lynching-and-deaths-in-tamil-nadu|title=WhatsApp Rumours, Fake Videos Lead to Lynching and Deaths in Tamil Nadu|last=Karthikeyan|first=Divya|date=25 May 2018|work=The Wire}}</ref>
+|42<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://thewire.in/media/a-whatsapp-rumour-a-fake-video-lead-to-lynching-and-deaths-in-tamil-nadu|title=WhatsApp Rumours, Fake Videos Lead to Lynching and Deaths in Tamil Nadu|last=Karthikeyan|first=Divya|date=25 May 2018|work=The Wire|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115210/https://thewire.in/media/a-whatsapp-rumour-a-fake-video-lead-to-lynching-and-deaths-in-tamil-nadu|url-status=live}}</ref>
-|65 year old Rukmani and her family was travelling from Chennai to visit the family temple when they stopped to ask an elderly lady for directions. Whilst stopping they gave chocolates to local children. The lady told the rest of the village that they must be child traffickers. A mob of 200 gathered, stripped the family and beat them,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-horror-mob-mistakes-65-year-old-woman-child-trafficker-lynches-her-death-81010|title=TN horror: Mob mistakes 65-year-old woman for child trafficker, lynches her to death|last=Jayarajan|first=Sreedevi|date=10 May 2018|work=The News Minute}}</ref> killing Rukmani, critically injuring the other three and overturning their vehicle. Police were present but unable to stop the violence until an ambulance arrived.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thelogicalindian.com/news/tamil-nadu-mob-65-yr-old-woman-child-trafficker/|title=Tamil Nadu: Mob Of 200 Lynches To Death 65-Yr-Old Woman Mistaking Her For A Child Trafficker|date=10 May 2018|work=The Logical Indian}}</ref> Videos taken of the attack were circulated and used to identify perpetrators.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/puducherry/23-men-arrested-for-lynching-65-year-old-chennai-woman/articleshow/64115348.cms|title=23 men arrested for lynching 65-year-old Chennai woman|date=11 May 2018|work=The Times of India}}</ref> Claims that 52 children in the district had been abducted were circulating on WhatsApp prior to the lynching.<ref name=":3" /> Police commence awareness campaign against fake news in the days following the attack.
+|65 year old Rukmani and her family was travelling from Chennai to visit the family temple when they stopped to ask an elderly lady for directions. Whilst stopping they gave chocolates to local children. The lady told the rest of the village that they must be child traffickers. A mob of 200 gathered, stripped the family and beat them,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-horror-mob-mistakes-65-year-old-woman-child-trafficker-lynches-her-death-81010|title=TN horror: Mob mistakes 65-year-old woman for child trafficker, lynches her to death|last=Jayarajan|first=Sreedevi|date=10 May 2018|work=The News Minute|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=11 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511030225/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-horror-mob-mistakes-65-year-old-woman-child-trafficker-lynches-her-death-81010|url-status=live}}</ref> killing Rukmani, critically injuring the other three and overturning their vehicle. Police were present but unable to stop the violence until an ambulance arrived.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thelogicalindian.com/news/tamil-nadu-mob-65-yr-old-woman-child-trafficker/|title=Tamil Nadu: Mob Of 200 Lynches To Death 65-Yr-Old Woman Mistaking Her For A Child Trafficker|date=10 May 2018|work=The Logical Indian|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114926/https://thelogicalindian.com/news/tamil-nadu-mob-65-yr-old-woman-child-trafficker/|url-status=live}}</ref> Videos taken of the attack were circulated and used to identify perpetrators.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/puducherry/23-men-arrested-for-lynching-65-year-old-chennai-woman/articleshow/64115348.cms|title=23 men arrested for lynching 65-year-old Chennai woman|date=11 May 2018|work=The Times of India|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=13 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813195320/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/puducherry/23-men-arrested-for-lynching-65-year-old-chennai-woman/articleshow/64115348.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> Claims that 52 children in the district had been abducted were circulating on WhatsApp prior to the lynching.<ref name=":3" /> Police commence awareness campaign against fake news in the days following the attack.
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-|20<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-two-lynched-to-death-in-24-hours-how-fake-whatsapp-messages-spread-panic/1163520/|title=Tamil Nadu: Two lynched to death in 24 hours; how fake WhatsApp messages spread panic|date=11 May 2018|work=Financial Express}}</ref>
+|20<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-two-lynched-to-death-in-24-hours-how-fake-whatsapp-messages-spread-panic/1163520/|title=Tamil Nadu: Two lynched to death in 24 hours; how fake WhatsApp messages spread panic|date=11 May 2018|work=Financial Express|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114942/https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-two-lynched-to-death-in-24-hours-how-fake-whatsapp-messages-spread-panic/1163520/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-|A mentally-ill man who had been seen roaming the streets for several months was attacked by 90 villagers who accused him of being a child kidnapper. They broke his nose, gouged out an eye, and hung him from a bridge near Pulicat Lake.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/false-whatsapp-messages-child-abduction-trigger-violence-tn-killing-two-81074|title=False Whatsapp messages on child abduction trigger violence in TN, killing two|last1=Thirumurthy|first1=Priyanka|date=11 May 2018|work=The News Minute|last2=Jayarajan|first2=Sreedevi}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/mob-justice-on-chennai-streets-two-men-lynched-within-24-hours-for-alleged-child-theft-345176.html|title=Mob Justice On Chennai Streets, Two Men Lynched Within 24 Hours For Alleged Child Theft|last=Selvaraj|first=A.|date=11 May 2018|work=Indian Times}}</ref> The cause was fake videos and messages circulating via WhatsApp.
+|A mentally-ill man who had been seen roaming the streets for several months was attacked by 90 villagers who accused him of being a child kidnapper. They broke his nose, gouged out an eye, and hung him from a bridge near Pulicat Lake.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/false-whatsapp-messages-child-abduction-trigger-violence-tn-killing-two-81074|title=False Whatsapp messages on child abduction trigger violence in TN, killing two|last1=Thirumurthy|first1=Priyanka|date=11 May 2018|work=The News Minute|last2=Jayarajan|first2=Sreedevi|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=19 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719133456/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/false-whatsapp-messages-child-abduction-trigger-violence-tn-killing-two-81074|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/mob-justice-on-chennai-streets-two-men-lynched-within-24-hours-for-alleged-child-theft-345176.html|title=Mob Justice On Chennai Streets, Two Men Lynched Within 24 Hours For Alleged Child Theft|last=Selvaraj|first=A.|date=11 May 2018|work=Indian Times|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145532/https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/mob-justice-on-chennai-streets-two-men-lynched-within-24-hours-for-alleged-child-theft-345176.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The cause was fake videos and messages circulating via WhatsApp.
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-|Two brothers working for the [[Swachh Bharat Mission|Swachh Bharat]] campaign and a friend were beaten to death by tribals in front of their 80-year-old grandmother. Their older brother sustained injuries in the attack. Police failed to rescue them, with witnesses accusing them of standing and watching. WhatsApp rumours were blamed for the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/lynched-by-mob-in-jharkhand-over-kidnap-rumours-4664595/|title=Seven lynched by mob in Jharkhand over kidnap rumours|last=Bhattacharya|first=Ravik|date=20 May 2017|work=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jharkhand-lynching-community-leaders-activists-blame-curse-of-social-media/story-dJxy4KwljyhiOKFUGGxkNJ.html|title=Jharkhand lynching: Community leaders, activists blame 'curse of social media'|last=Murty|first=B Vijay|date=22 May 2017|work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> Angry villagers torched two police vehicles.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/six-persons-lynched-in-two-separate-incidents-in-jharkhand-following-suspicion-of-child-lifting-3457408.html|title=Six persons lynched in two separate incidents in Jharkhand following suspicion of child-lifting|date=19 May 2017|work=First Post}}</ref> It was reported that the grandmother was also beaten and died later.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/anatomy-of-a-lynching-how-fake-forwards-create-killer-mobs/articleshow/64612041.cms|title=Anatomy of a lynching: How fake forwards create killer mobs|date=16 June 2018|work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/jharkhand/4-year-ri-for-12-in-rajnagar-lynching-245426|title=4-year RI for 12 in Rajnagar lynching|date=17 July 2018|work=The Telegraph}}</ref>
+|Two brothers working for the [[Swachh Bharat Mission|Swachh Bharat]] campaign and a friend were beaten to death by tribals in front of their 80-year-old grandmother. Their older brother sustained injuries in the attack. Police failed to rescue them, with witnesses accusing them of standing and watching. WhatsApp rumours were blamed for the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/lynched-by-mob-in-jharkhand-over-kidnap-rumours-4664595/|title=Seven lynched by mob in Jharkhand over kidnap rumours|last=Bhattacharya|first=Ravik|date=20 May 2017|work=The Indian Express|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114939/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/lynched-by-mob-in-jharkhand-over-kidnap-rumours-4664595/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jharkhand-lynching-community-leaders-activists-blame-curse-of-social-media/story-dJxy4KwljyhiOKFUGGxkNJ.html|title=Jharkhand lynching: Community leaders, activists blame 'curse of social media'|last=Murty|first=B Vijay|date=22 May 2017|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115300/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jharkhand-lynching-community-leaders-activists-blame-curse-of-social-media/story-dJxy4KwljyhiOKFUGGxkNJ.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Angry villagers torched two police vehicles.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/six-persons-lynched-in-two-separate-incidents-in-jharkhand-following-suspicion-of-child-lifting-3457408.html|title=Six persons lynched in two separate incidents in Jharkhand following suspicion of child-lifting|date=19 May 2017|work=First Post|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727125032/https://www.firstpost.com/india/six-persons-lynched-in-two-separate-incidents-in-jharkhand-following-suspicion-of-child-lifting-3457408.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was reported that the grandmother was also beaten and died later.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/anatomy-of-a-lynching-how-fake-forwards-create-killer-mobs/articleshow/64612041.cms|title=Anatomy of a lynching: How fake forwards create killer mobs|date=16 June 2018|work=The Times of India|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=25 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825034553/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/anatomy-of-a-lynching-how-fake-forwards-create-killer-mobs/articleshow/64612041.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/jharkhand/4-year-ri-for-12-in-rajnagar-lynching-245426|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114937/https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/jharkhand/4-year-ri-for-12-in-rajnagar-lynching-245426|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 July 2018|title=4-year RI for 12 in Rajnagar lynching|date=17 July 2018|work=The Telegraph}}</ref>
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-|Two men were beaten to death and seven others were injured, one of them critically, after a mob of villagers attacked them with wooden sticks after receiving social media messages about a gang of robbers in the area.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/whatsapp-rumour-triggers-lynching-of-2-men-in-maharashtras-aurangabad-1777717.html|title=WhatsApp Rumour Triggers Lynching of 2 Men in Maharashtra's Aurangabad|date=13 June 2018|work=News 18}}</ref>
+|Two men were beaten to death and seven others were injured, one of them critically, after a mob of villagers attacked them with wooden sticks after receiving social media messages about a gang of robbers in the area.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/whatsapp-rumour-triggers-lynching-of-2-men-in-maharashtras-aurangabad-1777717.html|title=WhatsApp Rumour Triggers Lynching of 2 Men in Maharashtra's Aurangabad|date=13 June 2018|work=News 18|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145534/https://www.news18.com/news/india/whatsapp-rumour-triggers-lynching-of-2-men-in-maharashtras-aurangabad-1777717.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
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-|A family of daily wage labourers were accused by a teenager of being child abductors and set upon by surrounding crowd. All five were rescued by police. The crowd attacked police and overturned a police vehicle. The four are critically injured in hospital.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/5-lynched-in-dhule-4-battered-in-malegaon-fake-whatsapp-message-haunts-maharashtra-now-1797399.html|title=5 Lynched in Dhule, 4 Battered in Malegaon: Fake WhatsApp Message Haunts Maharashtra Now|date=2 July 2018|work=News 18}}</ref> Cause believed to be fake videos originating in Karnataka.<ref name=":20">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/fake-video-from-karnataka-leads-to-malegaon-mob-attack-lynching|title=How A Video From Karnataka Spurred A Mob Attack In Malegaon|last=Niranjakumar|first=Nivedita|date=3 July 2018|work=The Quint}}</ref>
+|A family of daily wage labourers were accused by a teenager of being child abductors and set upon by surrounding crowd. All five were rescued by police. The crowd attacked police and overturned a police vehicle. The four are critically injured in hospital.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/5-lynched-in-dhule-4-battered-in-malegaon-fake-whatsapp-message-haunts-maharashtra-now-1797399.html|title=5 Lynched in Dhule, 4 Battered in Malegaon: Fake WhatsApp Message Haunts Maharashtra Now|date=2 July 2018|work=News 18|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727082117/https://www.news18.com/news/india/5-lynched-in-dhule-4-battered-in-malegaon-fake-whatsapp-message-haunts-maharashtra-now-1797399.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Cause believed to be fake videos originating in Karnataka.<ref name=":20">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/fake-video-from-karnataka-leads-to-malegaon-mob-attack-lynching|title=How A Video From Karnataka Spurred A Mob Attack In Malegaon|last=Niranjakumar|first=Nivedita|date=3 July 2018|work=The Quint|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115154/https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/fake-video-from-karnataka-leads-to-malegaon-mob-attack-lynching|url-status=live}}</ref>
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-|5 people belonging to the nomadic community Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi were lynched to death on the suspicion of being child traffickers. Rumours on social media suggested that child abductors were active in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-04|title=Fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, Dhule mob wanted to burn bodies of ‘child abductors’|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/furious-dhule-mob-wanted-to-burn-bodies-of-child-abductors-after-beating-them-to-death/story-pqH4MFa8YRc9ofxJLPgWOK.html|access-date=2021-02-09|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>
+|5 people belonging to the nomadic community Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi were lynched to death on the suspicion of being child traffickers. Rumours on social media suggested that child abductors were active in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-04|title=Fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, Dhule mob wanted to burn bodies of 'child abductors'|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/furious-dhule-mob-wanted-to-burn-bodies-of-child-abductors-after-beating-them-to-death/story-pqH4MFa8YRc9ofxJLPgWOK.html|access-date=2021-02-09|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|archive-date=14 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214134002/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/furious-dhule-mob-wanted-to-burn-bodies-of-child-abductors-after-beating-them-to-death/story-pqH4MFa8YRc9ofxJLPgWOK.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
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-|32<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-child-kidnapping-rumours-whatsapp-angry-mob-karnataka-hyderabad-a8449441.html|title=2,000-strong mob kill engineer over child-kidnapping rumours in India's latest lynching|last=Busby|first=Mattha|date=16 July 2018|work=Independent}}</ref>
+|32<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-child-kidnapping-rumours-whatsapp-angry-mob-karnataka-hyderabad-a8449441.html|title=2,000-strong mob kill engineer over child-kidnapping rumours in India's latest lynching|last=Busby|first=Mattha|date=16 July 2018|work=Independent|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727123407/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-child-kidnapping-rumours-whatsapp-angry-mob-karnataka-hyderabad-a8449441.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/hyd-man-lynched-death-after-mob-k-taka-accuses-him-being-child-abductor-84769|title=Hyd man lynched to death after mob in K'taka accuses him of being a child abductor|last=Ram|first=Theja|date=14 July 2018|work=The News Minute}}</ref>
+<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/hyd-man-lynched-death-after-mob-k-taka-accuses-him-being-child-abductor-84769|title=Hyd man lynched to death after mob in K'taka accuses him of being a child abductor|last=Ram|first=Theja|date=14 July 2018|work=The News Minute|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145823/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/hyd-man-lynched-death-after-mob-k-taka-accuses-him-being-child-abductor-84769|url-status=live}}</ref>
-|IT worker, Mohammed Azam was visiting a relative with three friends when they saw some children in the village to whom they gave Qatari chocolates. Villagers, suspecting them to be child-snatchers turned hostile. The group fled in their car, but residents called ahead to the next village of Murki who blocked the road. The car flipped into a ditch and the men dragged them out of the vehicle{{Original research inline|date=January 2019}} and beaten with sticks and stones. By the time the police arrived, Azam was dead whilst the others had sustained critical injuries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/google-techie-s-lynching-in-karnataka-how-an-act-of-kindness-turned-deadly-118071500351_1.html|title=Google techie's lynching in Karnataka: How an act of kindness turned deadly|date=16 July 2018|work=Business Standard}}</ref> Eight policemen were injured, two seriously.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/he-looked-like-a-terrorist-how-a-drive-in-rural-india-ended-in-a-mob-attack-and-a-lynching/story-48MpOGGkqjbDwgv3eigOwJ.html|title='He looked like a terrorist': How a drive in Karnataka ended in mob lynching|date=30 July 2018|work=Hindustan Times}}</ref>
+|IT worker, Mohammed Azam was visiting a relative with three friends when they saw some children in the village to whom they gave Qatari chocolates. Villagers, suspecting them to be child-snatchers turned hostile. The group fled in their car, but residents called ahead to the next village of Murki who blocked the road. The car flipped into a ditch and the men dragged them out of the vehicle{{Original research inline|date=January 2019}} and beaten with sticks and stones. By the time the police arrived, Azam was dead whilst the others had sustained critical injuries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/google-techie-s-lynching-in-karnataka-how-an-act-of-kindness-turned-deadly-118071500351_1.html|title=Google techie's lynching in Karnataka: How an act of kindness turned deadly|date=16 July 2018|work=Business Standard|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726042352/https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/google-techie-s-lynching-in-karnataka-how-an-act-of-kindness-turned-deadly-118071500351_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Eight policemen were injured, two seriously.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/he-looked-like-a-terrorist-how-a-drive-in-rural-india-ended-in-a-mob-attack-and-a-lynching/story-48MpOGGkqjbDwgv3eigOwJ.html|title='He looked like a terrorist': How a drive in Karnataka ended in mob lynching|date=30 July 2018|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=30 July 2018|archive-date=30 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730102755/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/he-looked-like-a-terrorist-how-a-drive-in-rural-india-ended-in-a-mob-attack-and-a-lynching/story-48MpOGGkqjbDwgv3eigOwJ.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
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-|Following the circulation of WhatsApp messages a group of tribal men suspected a homeless, mentally-disabled woman, attacking her with sticks, rods and a pick-axe. Her body was dumped in the jungle, but found shortly afterwards by the police.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jul/23/mentally-challenged-homeless-woman-lynched-by-mob-over-child-lifting-rumours-in-madhya-pradesh-1847404.html|title=Mentally challenged homeless woman lynched by mob over child lifting rumours in Madhya Pradesh|date=23 July 2018|work=The New Indian Express}}</ref>
+|Following the circulation of WhatsApp messages a group of tribal men suspected a homeless, mentally-disabled woman, attacking her with sticks, rods and a pick-axe. Her body was dumped in the jungle, but found shortly afterwards by the police.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jul/23/mentally-challenged-homeless-woman-lynched-by-mob-over-child-lifting-rumours-in-madhya-pradesh-1847404.html|title=Mentally challenged homeless woman lynched by mob over child lifting rumours in Madhya Pradesh|date=23 July 2018|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=27 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115001/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jul/23/mentally-challenged-homeless-woman-lynched-by-mob-over-child-lifting-rumours-in-madhya-pradesh-1847404.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
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-| See [[2020 Palghar mob lynching]]. Three men who were driving to a funeral during coronavirus lockdown were lynched by the vigilante group on the suspicion of being thieves after rumours were floated in the area.<ref name="Reuters" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-killed-by-mob-in-maharashtras-palghar-over-rumours-of-organ-harvesting-2214013|title=3 Men Brutally Killed By Mob In Maharashtra's Palghar, Police Arrest 110|date=18 April 2020|work=NDTV|access-date=19 April 2020}}</ref>
+| See [[2020 Palghar mob lynching]]. Three men who were driving to a funeral during coronavirus lockdown were lynched by the vigilante group on the suspicion of being thieves after rumours were floated in the area.<ref name="Reuters" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-killed-by-mob-in-maharashtras-palghar-over-rumours-of-organ-harvesting-2214013|title=3 Men Brutally Killed By Mob In Maharashtra's Palghar, Police Arrest 110|date=18 April 2020|work=NDTV|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419000417/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-killed-by-mob-in-maharashtras-palghar-over-rumours-of-organ-harvesting-2214013|url-status=live}}</ref>
 |}
 == See also ==
 * [[Cow vigilante violence in India]]
+* [[WhatsApp University]]
 == References ==
 {{Reflist}}
-[[Category:2017 in India]]
+[[Category:2017 crimes in India]]
 [[Category:2018 in India]]
 [[Category:Murder in India]]
-[[Category:Lynching]]
+[[Category:Lynching deaths in India]]
+[[Category:WhatsApp]]
+[[Category:Cybercrime in India]]
+[[Category:2017 murders in India]]
+[[Category:2018 murders in India]]
+[[Category:Moral panic]]
+[[Category:Fake news in India]]
+[[Category:May 2017 events in India]]